BaBump
by tamiz
Summary: BlchXInu crossover! New high school, new friends, new enemies, and...talking cats? Pink chibis? And what about the talking plushie? Or the bald guy with eyeshadow? What happened to sanity?[pairings] title may be changed
1. the girlsan

_Author's notes_: hmm, so first fanfic. Can't say I'm not totally up to it, it's just that this is also my first crossover. I've written a few crossovers before just for fun, but I've never posted it up before like this. So, without further ado, I give you the story!

_Warnings/plot settings_: this story starts after the Bounto arc and before the Arrancar arc, so that's the time between each. Also, nearing the end, heavy spoilers on current manga chapters. With Inuyasha, let's just say you'll be spoiled right away if you haven't _any_ damn clue who the hell Naraku is or what the Shikon Jewel is, either.

_Disclaimer_: I only wish, but even in my dreams, I still can't imagine me owning Bleach or Inuyasha…sad, aint it?

* * *

Maybe it was because he hadn't had any decent sleep in weeks or maybe it was because he was just plain delusional that he could see things so out of the ordinary today; well, more out of the ordinary then usual, anyway.

Maybe he had taken one too many hits to the head from dear old oyaji (as well as a few good kicks, damn the senile bastard). Maybe it was from balancing a normal high school life and a life of a shinigami. Those two didn't really mix that well, if someone where to ask.

Whatever the matter, Kurosaki Ichigo was definitely seeing something, and he had a sinking feeling about it, too.

He shook his head lightly, frown ever in place on his roughened face, as he continued to glare at the girl with the funny spirit strings. She was milling about, a grocery bag tucked in between the crook of her arm and forearm, as she picked out apples from their display.

Ichigo considered himself to have seen a lot of weird things in his day. Dead people, Hollows, pink chibis, soul reapers, Rukia's poorly drawn explanations (though he'd keep his mouth shut with a twitch of his eye; he knew what Rukia was capable of), and the occasional talking cats. Ichigo considered himself _very_ jaded, for that matter, but looking at the multicolored spirit threads floating gracefully around the ebony haired girl (that had legs that kept going _forever _he just couldn't help but add), he had to reconsider.

'_She's got blue, pink and white mixed all together.'_ Ichigo thought with a narrowing of his eyes. The three colors blended well, making a dark violet purple whenever any of the colors touched the other. Never in his life, had he seen something so utterly _unbelievable_. It was making him feel just a touch queasy, actually.

"Maybe if I go check her out," Ichigo wondered out loud as he strayed away from his place in line. He ignored annoyed glances his way and the intermittent rolling of the eyes of other people waiting in line to pay for their goods as he stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. Yuzu wouldn't mind if he'd be a little late bringing her cocoa powder for her chocolate cake if he had a good reason. And obviously, this was a good reason. As shinigami representative living on Earth, he had a duty to uphold, and damn him if he ever got showed up by the residential soul reaper keeping watch just a block away.

"Eh, hey you, girl-san," Ichigo called out awkwardly, unsure how to address the one he had spotted. Some people sent him weird looks, but he paid no mind to them. He was used to it, with his orange hair and his rough demeanor.

Apparently, the girl hadn't heard his uncomfortable cry, for she continued on her way to the next column of fruits and out of Ichigo's sight. Cursing that today as a Sunday and that most people did their grocery shopping today, Ichigo tried to weave his way through throngs of people with much difficulty.

Futility then reared its ugly head when Ichigo was just so suddenly stuck in a grocery line with no memory of wanting to get in line to purchase anything yet. "The fuck," the teen cursed quietly as he strode out of line to glower with the avocadoes at his side. The line took his spot and moved forward.

'_I'm imagining things, maybe.'_ The boy sighed. Was there really someone who had multicolored spirit threads? The only colors he'd ever scene were all white and red for the humans and shinigamis respectfully, nothing that was ever mixed. Decided that he needed more sleep, Ichigo was only just a block away from home when he remembered the cocoa powder Yuzu requested.

"I do need more sleep," Ichigo grumbled darkly as he turned right around and stomped all the way back to the super market.

* * *

Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it wasn't. Whatever it was, Higurashi Kagome knew the feeling well; the feeling of being watched, that is.

Ever since the final battle in the Sengoku Jidai with Naraku, Kagome had always felt paranoid. She couldn't help it, really; the trip to Naraku's castle was reason enough for anyone. She would always be first to sense that something or someone was following their little group to Naraku. Her intuition was always correct when Sango hauled her giant boomerang at a nearby bush to slice a youkai puppet or when Inuyasha would unsheathe his sword.

It was second nature to her; she couldn't do much for their group other than to track down shards of the jewel, so she made it habit to locate danger whenever it was present because she, (out of their group, Miroku-sama not included) was most in touch spiritually. She was never wrong; her sixth sense, how Miroku-sama would always say, was deadly accurate.

That was why she was positive someone was watching her.

Kagome kept her head down, making it seem that she was just out shopping for fruits. She moved her lips without really saying anything, so it seemed like she was muttering to herself on what to get so that no one would bother her. She moved to another section of produces, hoping to Kami that who ever was watching her would lose interest at such a boring person out shopping. Luckily for her, it seemed that she had lost whoever it was.

Placing a hand to a wildly beating chest, the school girl calmed her nerves and got in line. Whoever it was gone now, so she need not worry herself anymore, she told herself. Paying the uninterested cashier placidly, Kagome rushed back home in hopes of appeasing a surely waiting half-demon with her long-awaited presence (for heaven knows she was already over an hour late to meet him). She stopped only a block away from the shrine; damn, she forgot the ramen. No use getting back from the store to Inuyasha if you didn't have any of the instant noodles on hand. Cursing her forgetfulness, she scurried back to the market to pick them up.

* * *

"Aren't you the early bird," Inuyasha growled as he watched Kagome slide the shōji door open and slip off her brown loafers. He was leaning casually on the stair post, his arms crossed with his brows furrowed. Inuyasha frowned when he saw Kagome was carrying two bags, seemingly all filled with various fruits. She shouldn't be carrying such heavy things, and he berated himself for letting her go shopping by herself. His ears twitched when he heard Kagome suck in a quick breath.

"Gomen, gomen, but I was almost home before I forgot to buy some ramen for you guys." The school girl said, relieving herself as she let the heavy grocery bags sag to the ground. That was when the dog demon noticed that one bag had instant noodles lined inside.

"Keh."

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome refused to say a thing about the creepy feeling she had back while shopping. Knowing the overprotective hanyou well, he'd totally freak about it, and over all have a seizure.

She decided she wanted to spare Inuyasha of that. For now, at least.

"Wanna help me put these in the kitchen? Mama is making a fruit salad for guests that are coming over tonight and she needs these." Kagome gestured to the bags on the floor with a helpless look. Inuyasha grunted and lifted the bags with ease to swing them so that they lay supported on his back. His other hand was on the back of his head scratching, making it seem as if he was doing this because he was bored. Maybe, Kagome thought with a thankful smile.

Seeing her mother working furiously on an onion (chopping it up good with swift movements), Kagome motioned for Inuyasha to drop his burden on the table. "Mama, your fruits." She said.

"Ah, thank you, Kagome." Mama Higurashi smiled good naturally as she stopped her cutting. She looked thoughtful for a moment, putting a finger to her chin, before she had a smile on her face once more. Inuyasha took that opportunity to wait for Kagome outside, presumably in the Goshinboku. Kagome had that it was weird before that a dog demon such as Inuyasha himself would have such an unhealthy attachment to the sacred tree in their shrine grounds, but it made perfect sense, really... it was just a little weird (well, Kagome thought it weird, anyway; how could anyone have any sort of affection for something that would remind you of pain? An arrow right in the damn heart, no less!)

"Kagome, I know you might not be all that excited to have moved to a new school," her mother began. Kagome was indifferent with the situation; on one hand, she'd miss her three friends and Houjo-kun a lot, but on the other, no more poking and prying from them on a daily basis, either. She knew they meant well, but really, a girl could only take so much.

"No, mama, I'm okay. I'll miss everyone alright, but I'll make new friends." She hated having to worry her kind mother.

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" mama cried joyously…and strangely out of character of her, may I add.

"Eh?" Kagome said intelligently.

"I have friends in many places, Kagome," mama said, resuming her chopping of the onion. "And I know one that has a daughter going to Karakura High."

"That's great, mama!" Kagome said. What a weird off topic this was.

The older woman set her knife down and collected the onion pieces together and dumped them into a steaming pot on the stove. "But she passed away with her husband a long time ago, I'm afraid." Kagome felt a twitch in her heart. It must be a horrible feeling to lose someone as close as a friend.

"They had two children, but unfortunately, the older of the two passed away as well, leaving the younger of the siblings." Mama Higurashi shook her head with a light frown.

Kagome didn't know what to say. How did such a lighthearted topic turn to one such as this? "That's horrible, mama."

She nodded with a sympathetic sigh. "The daughter of my friend is still here, and is attended the school you're transferring to next." She said. "I think it best for you two to meet. It would be quite nice if you two would be friends."

Ah. So there was a means to everything, Kagome guessed. "Someone attending Karakura High, with me, huh? At least I'd know someone then before going to classes." Kagome quirked her head to the side. "What's her name?"

Her mother brightened considerably, and smiled. "Inoue Orihime, Kagome. I hope you'll

warm up to her, the girl is quite sweet and she'll be arriving at seven."

* * *

After many apologies and apology _presents_ later (that consisted entirely on the ramen she had bought earlier that day), Kagome had finally convinced Inuyasha to give her another two days to enjoy dinner with someone new and to attend her new school tomorrow. He had grumbled, but finally relented when Kagome's mother asked him (as well as bribed him of sorts with some baked cookies). He waved his clawed finger under Kagome's nose and told her specifically to "get back after the two days are over, wench"; he promptly got sat into the dry well for the 'wench' comment. Kagome didn't feel at all entirely satisfied because she couldn't hear the ignorant hanyou hit compact dirt ground as he disappeared from her in a holy blue-pink light.

Returning from the dry well house, Kagome was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Inoue Orihime. A pretty girl with long orange hair and- dare she say it?- _overflowing… _breasts. Looking down onto her own chest, Kagome felt somewhat lacking.

"So, Orihime-san, is Kurakara High a fun environment?" Mama Higurashi asked over dinner that night as she passed the soy sauce to Sota.

"Ah, yes it is, Higurashi-san! And Orihime is fine." She was bubbly and friendly… she also preferred to eat Udon with peanut butter. How…weird. She turned to Kagome. "You'll like it there, Kagome-chan, its so much fun! There's Tatsuki-chan, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and Kurasaki-kun though he might glare at you the first time he sees you, but don't worry! He does nothing but glare!" Orihime giggled, chewing noodles and peanut butter merrily.

Kagome smiled with a twitch of her mouth. Orihime-chan was so… funny in that 'I'm trying not to but I'm funny anyway' sort of way. She liked the girl already. "You wouldn't mind showing me around and introducing me to your friends, would you Orihime-chan? I'd like that very much."

"Oh, sure! There are lots of people there and since I like you already, I'm sure everybody else will, too. Don't mind Kurasaki-kun, though. Did I tell you he'll glare at you first time you see him?" she put a finger to her chin and quirked her head to the side. When Kagome nodded her head in the affirmative, the orange haired girl polished the rest of her Udon/peanut butter dinner. "Ah, that was great, Higurashi-san! I enjoyed the meal!"

"It was nothing, Orihime, and really, I'm still holding my offer to you. Won't you come live with us here at the shrine? It wouldn't be a big deal, dear, we have a spare bedroom upstairs that needs filling."

The girl shook her head, and Kagome caught a glimpse of a sadder Orihime-chan for a split second. "No, it's alright, really. I like living at my apartment, it reminds me of my family and onii-chan a lot."

"If you'd have it no other way, dear. But if you ever are in need of a place to stay or for someone to look after you, the Sunset Shrine is open at all hours." Mama Higurashi walked the younger girl to the front door and handed her purple sweater. Kagome brought up the rear as well as Orihime's loafers. Smiling at the other, the two girls waved a peace sign under their noses and bid goodbye until tomorrow morning. Kagome slid the door shut and got ready for one hell of a day tomorrow.

* * *

"Ano, Hello? Kurasaki-kun, is that you?" Orihime had returned home from dinner with the Higurashi's and was currently on the phone.

"Ah, yeah, Inoue. What's up?" Ichigo sounded on the other line.

"I went to dinner to someplace on the far side of Tokyo, 'cause, you know, Tokyo isn't that far from Karakura Town, and I went to shrine that was name 'Sunset Shrine' and though it was named 'Sunset Shrine', it wasn't really sunny because I went at night, and"

"Inoue, slow down, would you. And get to the point, while you're at it." Ichigo cut her off her rambling.

"Eh, yeah, sorry." Orihime apologized quickly, scratching her head a bit sheepishly. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask you something."

"Well, what it is?" Ichigo sighed.

"Have you ever seen mixed spirit threads before?"

* * *

_Terms: _

Oyaji-old man

Shinigami- soul reaper

Chibi- short person or a kid, referring to someone/something as small and generally cute

Sengoku Jidai- warring states era (the era when Kagome makes her trips)

Youkai-demon

Kami- god

Gomen- sorry

Hanyou- half demon

Goshinboku- the sacred tree in Kagome's backyard

_Author's notes_: so, the adventure begins next chapter. I know the first chapters to stories aren't always the best chapter, but bear with me, m'kay? It's gonna get better from here on out, if you like the story enough to continue it with me. Anyways, happy reading, hopeful potential reviewers! Constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews would be absolute love! I'll answer questions too if you leave a review!

_Food for thought: _the beginning is always started with the first step. –anonymous


	2. first impressions

_Author's notes_: thank you so much to the people who actually reviewed! I'm so happy some people like the story thus far! Anyway, here's the next chapter.

_Disclaimer_: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach belongs only to Kubo. Do I _have_ to say more?

* * *

"Nervous?" Kagome's mother asked from the door of her daughter's room. 

"Just a little, actually." Kagome stood in front of her full length mirror to carefully scrutinize her appearance. "It looks a lot like my old school uniform." She fingered the red bow tie at her neck. Kagome twirled around to inspect the back of her new uniform for any imperfect creases on the skirt.

"Hmmm." Her mother agreed. She clapped her hands together and smiled as Kagome turned around. "Well, you wouldn't want to be late, Kagome, and I'm sure you'd want to be there early to meet Orihime so that she can show you around."

"Right, mama, I better get going." Snatching her new grey shoulder bag (that came with the school uniform, of course) Kagome hurried down the stairs to zip past her younger brother and nick his piece of toast from right under his nose.

Being a boy, and obviously being very grouchy in the morning, Sota grumbled, "Onee-chan's a big meany!" he rubbed at his tired eyes with a clenched fist as he halfheartedly aimed a sore punch at his sister's running figure.

"Ittekimasu, Sota! I'm leaving, mama!" Kagome said over her shoulder as she pulled on a pair of brown loafers with her white knee-high socks. The piece of toast was clamped in between her teeth as her hands were busy with her shoes.

"Itterasshai…" Sota called after the sliding shōji door pointlessly. Wearily, he poured himself some cereal.

Outside, Kagome was walking by herself on a sidewalk crawling with many other teens wearing the same uniform as her. "I hope Orihime-chan won't be angry with me for being a little late to meet her," Kagome thought to herself, crossing the street to wait at the bus stop that would take her to her new school. Many other students were waiting there, as well.

"Ah, ohayou, Kagome-chan, sorry I'm late!" Orihime bounced to Kagome's side with a shoulder bag hanging off her. She was a little out of breath, but was otherwise okay. She had made it in time, also; the bus had just arrived.

Loading in with the other students, the two girls found a seat near the back. "Nah, I thought I was late, so it's fine." Kagome and Orihime exchanged some small talk and laughter on the ride to school, and after a particularly good joke from Orihime-chan later (that had something to do with futuristic robots hell bent on destroying the world), Kagome had found herself standing in front of an entirely new building she'd never seen before. She felt nervous watching other people getting back together after the weekend and exchanging stories. If Orihime-chan had a clue to how Kagome felt now, she didn't show it because she kept poked her on the back to continue moving to the front doors.

"Ah, I want to introduce you to a lot of people, Kagome-chan!" the other girl continued her giggling when the two had made it into their class. "This is great, Kagome-chan, that you're in the same room as me! I wouldn't know what to do if I left you in any other room! It's so scary to not know anyone!" Kagome managed a polite smile.

"Orihime! Hey, Orihime, over here!" both girls turned around to see another girl with black spiky hair waving at them to come over.

"Tatsuki-chan! Ohayou!" Orihime said grabbing Kagome's hand and dragging her over to Tatsuki's desk.

"Eh? Who's that, Orihime? I've never seen you before." Tatsuki eyed Kagome. "You new or what?"

"Ano, yes I am. I just moved from my other school here." Kagome bowed lightly and smiled. "I'm Higurashi Kagome."

"A pleasure, Kagome-san. I'm Arisawa Tatsuki." The two exchanged friendly grins.

"Kyyyyyaaaaaa! Hooray for new friendship!" Orihime bounced up and down excitedly when Kagome told Tatsuki 'Kagome' was just fine and vice versa.

"Inoue-san, what's all the noise for?" a thin boy with dark hair and square glasses made his way over to his friend. "And who's that?" he spotted Kagome chatting quietly with Tatsuki.

"That's Kagome-chan, Ishida-kun, and she's new." Orihime explained calling her new friend over to meet the Quincy. "Kagome-chan, this is Ishida-kun."

"Nice to meet you, Ishida-san." Kagome bowed politely. Uryuu nodded back. The ebony haired girl turned back to Orihime and Tatsuki, seemingly going back to a previous conversation they were having before his arrival.

The Quincy was neither ignorant nor stupid, for he was a great Quincy, first of all. He was taught how to fire spirit arrows when he was only a young boy and was disciplined in the art of combat to boot. One of the things that he excelled at was the detection and identification of different reiatsu. He was best at that; it was something Ishida boasted about constantly around Kurosaki; someone who didn't even know how to contain his own spirit force.

That was why Ishida was certain that their new classmate was different; he could feel her unusual spiritual power, and it was rolling off of her in waves.

That, as well as her weird spirit threads. Did such a thing as _multicolored_ spirit threads really exist?

He decided to ask Orihime because it seemed to him that she was close enough to the new girl. "Inoue-san, may I speak to you in private for a moment please?" his buxom classmate nodded and followed him to the other end of the classroom where no one else was there.

"What is it, Ishida-kun?" Orihime asked with a trace amount of worry on her face.

"About our new classmate, Inoue-san…" he began, his eyes boring down into her own. The effect was totally ruined when he extended a bony hand to adjust his glasses. "Have you noticed anything…off about her at all?"

"About Kagome-chan? If you don't like her, Ishida-kun, you don't have to be all hush-hush about it all." Orihime explained this while cupping her mouth with her hands and darting her eyes to the sides. "If you don't think she's pretty, or if you think her breath smells, or if-"

"No, no, it's nothing like that, Inoue-san," Ishida resisted the urge to sigh loudly and roll his eyes at the childishness of his friend. Sometimes, he wondered… "It's just… can you see her mixed spirit threads?"

"Mixed spirit threads, huh?" Their private conversation was interrupted by an orange haired friend.

"Kurosaki-kun! Ohayou!" Orihime cried.

"Mornin', Inoue." He said back. He turned back to Ishida. "You talkin' 'bout mixed spirit threads?"

The Quincy boy nodded his head. "Yes, mixed spirit threads-"

"Kurosaki-kun, this is Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan, this is Kurosaki-kun." Orihime had dragged Kagome to her side to stand in front of Ichigo. The two stared impassively at the other until Kagome remembered her manners and dipped her head to a small bow.

"It's good to meet you, Kurosaki-san, I'm Higurashi Kagome." Ichigo continued to openly gawk (but still managed to maintain his bad ass image by keeping his mouth shut) at the shorter girl. It didn't take him long to snap out of his self induced stupor.

"Ichigo's just fine," he said off handily, while he waved a hand in front of his face. He stuffed his other hand in his pocket. "Have I seen you before?"

"And…what would you mean by that, Ichigo-san?" Kagome asked suspiciously. She was a little taken back by the boldness of his question; not to mention that intense glare he was sending her way. Orihime-chan was right; he did glare hard!

"I'm just-" Ichigo was cut off when an obnoxiously high pitched sing-song voice rang in everyone's ears. Ichigo refrained from convulsing as Kagome looked around stupidly for the source of the voice.

"IIIIIIICCCCCCCHHHHHHIIIIIIIGGGGGGOOOOO!" there was a loud _BAM_ as Ichigo's back hand made contact with Keigo's face. Kagome looked down to see a twitching boy with brown hair. Another boy with black hair was suddenly standing beside Ichigo shaking his head as if this happened often.

"Waaah, Ichigo, you're so mean!" Keigo was up and about once more, seemingly unhurt after the fatal looking blow he had just taken to the nose. He puckered his lips, crossed his eyes and arms, and wiggled his lower body as he continued to rant about Ichigo's cruelty.

"Keigo, you asshole, what did I tell you about associating with me?" came Ichigo's witty reply to the other boy's consistent whining. The orange haired yankie hadn't changed his facial expression the entire time, keeping his frown in place while he glowered at his classmate.

"You don't care anything of what happens to me, don't you?" Keigo cried out, anghst. "My friends have no heart!" he then proceeded to cry pathetically into the boy with black hair's uniform sleeve. The other boy, in turn, rolled his eyes.

"Ano, I doubt what Ichigo-san says, so don't take it so hard." Kagome tried awkwardly to talk to the emotional boy. She laughed somewhat nervously.

"Ah, and who is this fair maiden that has just so suddenly stolen my heart and ran away with it??" Keigo cried out dramatically. He held her hand out in front of him, his eyes half lidded as he said in his most suave voice, "Grace me with your name, oh sweet-"

"Kyyaaaa, its Keigo-kun!" Orihime just suddenly popped out of no where and smacked the brown haired moron with her bobbing breasts. "This is Kagome-chan, Keigo-kun! She's a friend of mine, so don't get all kissy-kissy around her 'cause she's not like that!" the well endowed high school girl giggled pleasantly, totally unaware of the almost terrified faces of Ichigo and Ishida. Tatsuki just shook her head.

"Eh?" Kagome said intelligently. She dismissed the whole event as an "Orihime" thing and hoped to never ever see anyone maul anyone else with their chest. Ever. And with breasts like Orihime-chans, it ought to hurt, too. Kagome shuddered mentally.

After that affair, Keigo decided that his friends needed the 'cold shoulder', so he dragged Mizuiro (the boy with black hair that Kagome had then come to know and like immediately for his pleasant behavior) away with him to sulk so he wouldn't be alone.

No one really noticed or cared (excluding Kagome who didn't know the douchebag well enough yet).

Kagome, for the most part, was liking her new school already for the diversity of her classmates and fellow peers. There was Orihime-chan and Tatsuki-san who were fun people, and with Ishida-san, Keigo-san, and Mizuiro-san around, school wouldn't be quite so boring anymore.

Ichigo-san was another different matter entirely. Glaring and glaring, was that all he ever did? His brows were always knotting together on his face as well; it was as if he was constantly angry or something. And when he asked if they'd ever meet before, Kagome had suddenly had a weird feeling. Brushing it off as first day's nausea, Kagome got up and out of her seat when sensei called her to the first to introduce herself to the class formally.

A girl with light brown hair and glasses was eying her rather openly (and was drooling, she added with a quirk of her brow), and Kagome couldn't help but spot a dark skinned giant sitting at the back of the room beside Ichigo (she also remembered the tall boy to have came to class late). Kagome deducted this day to be a very weird indeed, and took her seat again beside Orihime. This would make an awesome story for when she got back to the warring states era.

* * *

_Terms: _

Onee-chan: big sister

Ittekimasu: "I'm taking off!" or "I'm leaving now!"

Itterasshai: "See you later!" or "Have a safe trip!" usually followed after "Ittekimasu"

Ohayou: morning

Ano: um, ah, eh ect.

_Author's notes_: m'kay, so not much action in this chapter. I hoped I portrayed everyone correctly. It absolutely sucks when someone's out of character. Constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews would be lovely!

_Note_: a yankie is a Japanese 'gangster' in a way. They're often showed to be rude, unkind, and overall a troublemaker. They _could_ be related to the American kind of gangster, but not _really_. Ichigo's referred as a yankie because of his orange hair and constant frown, yup :)

_Food for thought_: Most fools think they are only ignorant. –ironically, my really dumb friend 3


	3. deadly intuition

_Author's notes_: Yeah, thanks for the reviews! I was gonna have this chapter out earlier, but, you know, the newest Bleach episodes were out and circulating around in YouTube. I have to stay updated with the anime, after all :). Kirri Kitty asked me about the pairing for this story; yes, it totally slipped my mind, so I'll put pairings up this chapter: ichiXkag (major), and the rest are minor pairings: ishiXorih, mirXsan, inuX??? (Cant possibly spoil this).

_Disclaimer_: I still don't own it. 'Dem lawyers can back off.

* * *

That new girl, Higurashi, or whatever; Ichigo remembered her. She had to be the one he had seen at the market while he was buying cocoa powder for Yuzu. Even before entering the classroom, he had sensed her relentlessly fluctuating reiatsu. She was constantly releasing her power into the atmosphere; if Ichigo didn't know any better, he might have thought she was doing that on purpose to cause trouble or to get attention. He knew better, though. Even with just looking at her, to have made such easy friends with Inoue and Tatsuki so quickly, she wasn't someone to act like that crazy bastard Zaraki who was always looking for someone to fight (frickin Kenpachi…).

School had ended on an awkward note for the group of friends as Ichigo continued to glare at Kagome out of the corner of her eye. She in turn would proceed as if she didn't feel his heated stare. The girl was later introduced to Sado, the dark skinned giant she had spotted at the beginning of class. Nothing else was relatively exiting to recall, other than the funny look Higurashi had on her face when she had to crane her neck to see Chad properly.

When he had met up with the Chad and Ishida at lunch that time, he was bombarded by numerous observations and questions from his normally quiet friend. The obvious remark on the new girl's reiatsu and spirit threads was first to be pointed out. Ichigo and Ishida weren't able to feed Sado back anything for they themselves had no clue what to make of Orihime's new friend.

Countless questions followed. Orihime popped out of no where and inquired if they were making fun of Higurashi. When they shook their heads in a collective bout of chorused 'No, Inoue-san's' 'nah's' and '…', Orihime had so gently told them to at least whisper about her because they were loud enough to hear them from the other side of their tree trunk. Tatsuki punched a clenched fist into her open palm from behind Orihime after pointing at the topic of their conversation. Kagome continued to eat her bento on the other side of the tree trunk, having heard only bits of the boys' talk with her name in it.

Ichigo continued to walk silently back home from school, kicking stray rocks out of his path occasionally, while he buried his hands deeper into his pockets. He mused whether or not he should keep an eye out for Kagome; one never knows, for all he knew she could be a spy sent by Aizen.

That thought alone immediately made Ichigo growl. What if she _was_ a spy sent by Aizen? That might explain why she had such unusual spirit threads. Suddenly feeling very cautious, Ichigo changed directions. He only hoped Urahara wasn't busy tonight because he had a lot of questions that needed answers.

* * *

"I'm back," Kagome slipped out of her shoes and trudged wearily to the kitchen where she knew her mother was waiting for her. She could hear noise upstairs and was certain Sota was already home pounding down on buttons on his game station.

Kagome found her helpful mother at the table. "Ah, Kagome," she said. She was in the middle of packing Kagome's giant yellow bag with candies and other goodies. "Inuyasha's waiting for you in the Goshinboku, dear."

"Thanks, mama, I'll tell him I'll only be a few more minutes. I'll just pack my text books and I'll be back to grab that." She pointed to the bag her mother was stuffing with a thankful smile as she rushed out to alert the temper mental dog demon of her presence.

She snatched her school books on her way out to the door before getting to the sacred tree. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha, come out, I'm back already."

Red seemed to drop out of the sky in front of her as she was suddenly nose to chest in dog demon. "Keh, took you long enough." Inuyasha grumbled, looking down at the petite girl.

"I just got back, you really can't blame me," Kagome said as she trailed back to the house. "My pack filled with ramen and chips are in the kitchen, Inuyasha. I'll just say goodbye to mama while I pick it up; you can wait for me at the well house if you want." Inuyasha shrugged with a disinterested, if slightly annoyed, sigh as he branched from her side to the dry well.

In minutes, both school girl and hanyou were in the well house. "Eh, smells like cat in here," Inuyasha complained as he heaved a hand to help support Kagome with her giant bag of school supplies.

"Buyo's around all the time, Inuyasha, and you never really minded Kirara, either," Kagome reminded him.

"This smell's different," Inuyasha grouched. "Don't smell like that fat cat or Kirara at all."

Kagome strained to keep her balance over the lip of the well while heaving her text books on her back. "There are such a thing as stray cats, Inuyasha." she said offhandedly without looking at him. She continued trying to balance herself on the narrow lip of the well.

He seemed a little agitated with her answer, but he grunted once more before swinging Kagome's yellow bag over his shoulder. "I'm fucking hallucinating, then," he groused. Together, they jumped down the glowing dry well into Sengoku Jidai. What neither of them knew was of a black cat hidden completely in the shadows, its luminous golden eyes watching of their every move closely.

* * *

"Higurashi Kagome; age fifteen, current occupation: high school student at Karakura High." Urahara counted off facts with his fingers. "Lives with mother, brother, and one crazy ojii-san; owns one fat cat-"

A tick formed at Ichigo's brow. When Urahara continued to list off pointless information, such as her cup size, Ichigo decided he'd had enough. "Enough, I've had enough!"

"Ah, but Kurosaki-san, you asked me of what I know of Higurashi-san, ne? Didn't you?" the man grinned under his stripped hat.

Ichigo continued to glare. He wasn't being taken very seriously, however, because he was currently cross-legged and was in the midst of being served tea by Ururu. Urahara took that moment to laugh at the funny tick in Kurosaki-san's left brow.

"Ano, Kurosaki-san, do you want a napkin?" Ururu asked when Ichigo pounded his fist on the table top angrily but only succeeded in spilling hot tea beverage onto his lap. He nodded painfully.

When she scurried away, the shop owner turned somber immediately. "Higurashi Kagome; age fifteen, current occupation: high school student and part-time time traveler."

Ichigo looked up at Urahara seriously then, having abandoned patting at his groin with a tissue. "Time traveler, eh, Urahara-san? How do you know?" he bent over the table to rest his elbows on his knees.

The older man tipped his hat so that it better covered his eyes. He leaned back with a long sigh, seemingly contemplating on what to say next. "Actually, I only just found out of her existence, and journeys, a while ago. Maybe while you were running around in Seireitei with the Bounto fiasco."

When Ichigo grunted, he continued. "When you were turned into a temporary shinigami, that girl, Kagome, fell down a dry well in her home grounds." Ururu returned with more tissue and another cup of tea for Urahara. "She lives in a shrine, and when she fell down that well, she was transported into a new world; a different era of time. I believe that dry well sends her back into time; five hundred years to be exact."

"Is there such a thing? Time traveling with a dry well; sounds impossible to me."

"It's very much true, Kurosaki-san, whether you believe it or not." Urahara said, taking a leisured sip of tea. Before Ichigo could make another remark otherwise, a sleek black cat slipped in through the opened sliding shōji door. Both male shinigamis turned to face the new arrival.

"Yoruichi-san!" said black cat nodded in greeting while making her way to sit on a side of the table.

"I was just telling Kurosaki-san of Higurashi-san. From what he tells me, she has moved into his class and is attending school with him."

"That so, Ichigo?" the feline turned her swift head to the shinigami representative. "I was just actually at her shrine grounds. I just witnessed her travel back in time with a youkai friend."

"A 'youkai' friend?" Ichigo clarified. "'Demon'?" he asked again.

"Yes, 'demon'. Dog demon to be accurate." Urahara answered.

"Do you think it safe to just let her time travel with a 'demon' friend?" Ichigo had seen hollows and a whole bunch of other crazy things, but demons? Did they mean the ones that lived in the underworld? "What if that friend of hers goes berserk and starts killing things on site?" hollows he could deal with, but demons might just be too much. "So you're saying that my classmate's a time traveler that travels through a dry well and makes friends with demons?"

"That about sums her up, I suppose." Urahara said, taking sips of his tea.

"This is insane." Ichigo said bluntly. He tried a different approach. "Okay then, what about her weird reiatsu and her spirit threads? And don't tell me you can't see them her mixed spirit threads, Ishida, Chad, and Inoue could see them, too."

"That I have yet to uncover, Kurosaki-san." The man in the green stripped hat said ominously. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Ichigo grunted. "What is it?"

"I'd like you to inform everyone else of what Higurashi-san…is doing, and watch her carefully. I still haven't determined whether she's and ally or enemy yet. Take cautious measures with her, if you please."

"She could have immensely strange powers if her reiatsu is any indication." Yoruichi added seriously.

"Got it." Ichigo nodded, getting up. He'd have to be careful around her just in case, and tell Ishida, Chad, and Inoue who she really is.

"If things get too out of hand, or if anything is leading to the destruction of the material world, we might have to bring Seireitei into this as well. In all the centuries I've lived, I've never seen a time traveler before once." Urahara followed Ichigo out the door, Yoruichi trailing leisurely after them, as if she was in deep thought.

"Playing with time might have side effects, and they may not be good." Yoruichi said quietly, mostly to herself, but the two shinigami were able to pick the softly spoken words being uttered. It was almost like a warning, Ichigo thought.

"Be careful, ne, Kurosaki-san? And don't forget what I told you."

"Roger, Urahara-san…" Ichigo trailed out the door, not bothering to look back at the waving shop manager, or the black cat. He knew something was up with Kagome from when he saw her at the market. His intuition was deadly accurate.

* * *

_Terms_:

Reiatsu: spirit force

Seireitei: the court of pure souls; where the shinigami and nobility live. It's supposed to represent heaven or nirvana.

Youkai: demon

_Author's notes_: eh, I may have left the story off with a sad note, huh? Hope you enjoyed it; reviews would be appreciated! I'll answers questions too, if you're confused at all. Constructive criticism would do, too.

_Food for thought_: Every rose has its thorns.


	4. multiply good

_Author's Notes: _thank you to those who've reviewed. They're really helpful. Sorry to not have posted this chapter sooner, I was going to have this up by yesterday, but my family and I where in a major car crash, and I was up all night in the hospital. Nothing serious, really, but my baby brother (who is- what?- four months old) needs special attention because he got hit pretty hard in the crash. I was busy taking care of him while nursing a very bruised neck (thank you for saving it, airbag) and back. I'm just thankful that my family and I are alive; we got hit twice. That's my excuse; I'd have had this up earlier, though. I was thinking about it all the time :)

_Disclaimer_: I met this really nice lawyer guy yesterday when my car was totaled; maybe he can get me Inuyasha and Bleach? I doubt it; he's not _that_ good.

* * *

"…Do you think Ichigo-san's angry with me?"

"No, Kagome-chan! Didn't I tell you he looks like that all the time?" Orihime assured her friend with a small smile.

"Yeah, but…" Kagome didn't get it. Ever since she had gotten back from feudal Japan yesterday, having spent entirely two weeks back in the past, Ichigo had given her an even harder glare than before.

Maybe she was hallucinating; maybe time apart from him had intensified his dislike for her…or something weird like that.

Actually, Kagome noticed, Ishida, Sado, and even Orihime were all acting a little weirder than normal. She would feel Ishida glancing at her on occasions during class and when they sat together with the others at lunch time, and Sado would be even quieter around her than normal. Orihime, thought still not having changed much around her at all, gave her almost knowing looks and strained smiles. Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro were still all the same, and for that she was grateful.

Whatever the matter, Kagome felt paranoid again. Wherever she went, it was if someone was watching her. She tried her best to spread her aura around to find whoever was keeping an eye on her, but they seemed to disappear at just the right moments. She had to have done that a couple of times now, and even before she had gone down the well. It was quite unnerving, almost as much as when she and Sango scout unknown territory for any of Naraku's demon puppets. It was just like at the store- say a month ago. Come to think of it…

"Kagome-chan! I'll see you tomorrow then?" Orihime called out from the other side of the road. She was already facing away from Kagome to make her walk back to her apartment alone. The bus grumbled back to life, having just dropped off many students at their stop, and was on its way down the street the opposite way it had come.

"Yeah, tomorrow then!" Kagome waved good bye and turned around facing the street to get to her house. She had to take a different route home now because there were so many accidents going on in town. It seemed to have all happened while she was away. Nothing even relatively new happened here; or so she was told from Tatsuki when she asked her about a car wreck out in front of their school when she came early yesterday morning.

It was already getting dark; she'd better hurry it up if she wanted to get home before night fell. No need to continue thinking stupidities when she already had so much to think about as it is; like school work and when they'd finally end their quest to kill Naraku…

* * *

"She acts as if nothing's the matter." Ichigo crossed his arms tightly. "It's as if she really doesn't travel back into time to prance around with demons in feudal Japan." He crinkled his nose. "Doesn't she know there are frickin hollows running loose in this time of space? Crazy bit-"

"Almost ironic, ne?"

"…not really. And stop interrupting me, dammit."

"Ah, Kurosaki-san, you kill me!" Urahara cried dramatically with a grin on his face. He flicked his fan open to wave himself with it.

"I hope I _do_ kill you; for all the help you've given us, you can just go kneel over, and flop _dea_-"

Orihime coughed strategically before Ichigo could finish his sentence. She grinned at the man with the stripped green hat.

"As I was saying," Urahara continued after returning Orihime's grin from behind his fan. "I do _not_ know why there has been an increased hollow population as of late. Maybe because of increased spiritual awareness in this town, I don't have a clue why."

'_So many lives taken into danger,'_ Orihime thought sadly. Ever since Kagome had called away 'sick' (and when she meant 'sick', she meant dancing with hanyous in the past) the last two weeks, hollows had been appearing left and right, and then right and left…it would make any girl dizzy just thinking about it.

"Is there a possibility that Kagome-san could be the reason why there is an increase in hollow activity?" Ishida asked. He was particularly teed off with the increased hollows because one had the time to completely obliterate his rose bush in his backyard. That hollow didn't last long. When he confronted Kurosaki about a second hollow attack on his garden gnome the next day, he was given a slap on the back and was presented with laughter. He didn't understand why…but he was still mad.

"I don't know for sure; if Higurashi-san is to blame, then why haven't the hollows attacked sooner for her?"

"Never would have thought of that." Sado said solemnly as Ishida sighed.

"Kagome-chan doesn't seem to be a bad guy; in fact, I think she might be on our side!" Orihime nodded as she explained her logic. "Why don't we ask her ourselves? Isn't that an idea for you?"

"We can't make sure she's a good guy, that's the problem, Inoue." Ichigo sighed this time. "If she's an enemy spy like I'd thought, then she'd know we're on to her and alert her superiors." He shook his head. "Then back to square one, with the additional worry of ambush."

"I can tell you put a lot of thought into this already, Kurosaki-san." Urahara said behind his fan.

"Obviously."

"Ah, you kill me inside, Kurosaki-san!" he whined while fanning himself; his free hand was to his forehead in a 'woe is me' fashion. "Why must you act so detached and _cool_?"

"Calm, Urahara-san; don't take what Kurosaki says to heart. And besides, you're starting to sound like Asano-san and its starting to scare Sado-san."

"…"

Shut it, Ishida." Ichigo said over Orihime's soothing consulting of Sado as he tried to gently deny her his cowardice. She didn't believe him.

"Anyways, back onto topic," Urahara straightened. "I'll alert the local shinigami in town to contact Seireitei if the hollow attacks become too much for you to handle. Wouldn't want you dead now would we?"

"You're just saying that…" Ichigo grumbled sulkily.

There was moment of silence before the small group jumped up in surprise when a blood curling howl pierced the nights tranquil.

"Another hollow, I suppose." Ishida sighed as he stood up and helped Orihime to her feet as well.

"Gotta go and get ride of it, then. Urahara-san, I do hope you now this is the third hollow of the night." Ichigo said before he sprinted into the night in his shinigami clothing leaving his prone body on the floor.

* * *

"What the _fuck_ was that?"

"You heard that too, Inuyasha?" Kagome was peacefully finishing up her kanji homework when a monstrous shriek echoed into her room from her open window.

"Fuck _yes_. Youkai?"

"I…don't know. I can sense it now, but it doesn't really seem like a demon." dropping her pencil on top of her unfinished papers, Kagome scrunched up her nose and narrowed her eyes. "I has a weird aura. Almost like a dead spirit." she remembered the demon soul that led children peacefully into the afterlife.

"Ima go an' check it out. You comin'?" Inuyasha was perched on her window sill in an instant, turning around to offer his back to give her a ride.

"Sure. Just let me get my bow." She hopped out of her chair to snatch her quiver of arrows and bow leaning on her side table. Taking a quick look outside, she decided to pull on a sweater as well. They only left when she had her green pullover sweater snuggly fit into place, and when she was on Inuyasha's back.

"To the left, I think it's just a block away from we are now." Inuyasha jumped from roof top to roof top at peak speed. Kagome could tell he was a little excited about seeing whatever this thing was because they hadn't had anything to do while in the warring states era; nothing to fight, nothing to even remotely beat up (Shippo was off limits), and Koga hadn't shown his face yet. Adrenaline was pumping fast in Inuyasha's veins, and he was just itching to do something productive.

"Heh, I can sense it too, now. It's gotta be here somewhere, the piece of shit." Inuyasha snarled as they landed softly on grass. They had arrived at a local park. A sign read 'Yumizawa Children's Park' near a wavering street lamp.

"I…can feel it, but where is it?" Kagome scanned the empty park grounds. There was no light, so everything was smothered in the shadows. Too bad she had forgotten her flashlight; now would have been the perfect time to have brought it. Widening her eyes in a pathetic attempt to catch light off of the flickering street lamps, Kagome saw nothing else but trees and grass and-

"Dammit, Kagome, move your ass!" Inuyasha cursed loudly as he shoveled the unaware school girl onto his shoulder so he could dodge a blow.

Kagome doubled over pitifully when her stomach contacted with Inuyasha's sharp shoulder. She wheezed, "I can't believe you just-"

"There's more!" the hanyou jumped to the right this time to just miss a tree toppling onto them. "Pay attention, girl, or you're necks gone!" Inuyasha dropped her off a few feet away from the fallen tree. "I'll be right back." He promptly jumped back into the darkness.

"Fine, leave me here…" She scoffed. "Like I'm listening to you." she spread her aura around to try and touch whatever it was they were looking for in the dark. Her spiritual awareness finally kicked in when her aura cracked against… the youkai's aura. "Found ya." It seemed to be much closer now; actually-

The ground from beneath her feet appeared to have exploded because a second later, Kagome was flying through the air. Landing hard near a tire swing attached to a large oak tree, she got to her knees and notched an arrow quickly. "Come out…" she called. Her bow shook ever so slightly as her palms started to sweat. It was so dark… "…Inuyasha? Where are you?"

A howl echoed into the dead night again, and it was as if just behind-

"Inuyasha!!"

-her.

* * *

_Author's Notes: _I bet you know what's coming up next! Don't fret, guys. I'm working on the next chapter in my head as I type. Reviews are awesome, as they always are, and constructive criticism is welcome. I'm gonna work on your compassion now; I've typed this out with a bruised neck and back; my arms are sore and I hurt all over thanks to that crash I just had. Reviews… (coughwheeze) …will help me get better. Inside. Yeah.

_Note_: Yumizawa Children's Park really is a park in Karakura Town. If you don't believe me, go check out manga volume one. It's there. Rukia says it. meh.

_Food for thought_: To solve the human equation, we need to add love, subtract hate, multiply good, and divide between truth and error.


	5. coming together

_Author's notes_: thanks for the reviews, guys. I'm feeling remarkably better, now that I'm taking therapy for my still very sore neck and back. I can type!!!11one11! again. Whoope. I'm sure everyone's absolutely ecstatic to hear it. Anywho, chapter five, ready to go.

_Disclaimer_: I asked if I could borrow shirou-chan and inu-chan for a little while, but noo, Kube-san and Takahashi-san are _still_ playing keeps. Damn.

Ah, and just so you guys know, I suck at writing action sequences. Just wanted to warn you. Skip the corny battle dramatics if it gets too lame for you to handle. I really don't mind.

* * *

"Inuyasha!"

"Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily! Santen Kesshun!" orange light touched darkness surrounding the children's park and engulfed Kagome in its brilliance. "I reject!" There was a white sound for a split second as Kagome tried her best to shield her eyes from the brightness. From the crevices from between her fingers, Kagome could catch a blurred outline of a monstrous spider-like youkai, easily towering over her petite form by at least seven feet. Holding in a strangled gasp, Kagome focused on keeping a firm grip on her bow.

Onto her hands and knees, Kagome could faintly feel the rain soaked grass drenching her pants. She was saved, but not by the one she had called out to. As she gasped continuously for breath, having totally lost it in that one instant in the light, Kagome turned to the side just in time to see the monster before her again.

A demon with a white animalistic mask and hole in its chest shrieked as it tossed its head back and forth was shown in the paling orange glow. Seeing a floating, triangle-like shield in her midst, Kagome concluded the youkai had contacted with what had saved her from injury. The shield was disappearing before her eyes, as with her only light source.

"No…!" Kagome breathed, not liking the idea of being plunged into darkness in her lonesome with such a beast around so close.

Before the light could completely fade, Kagome heard a voice scream, "Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun!" the monster, in the dying light, howled again, "I reject!!" before its mask was split into two. One more shriek pierced the calm night air, before the thing completely turned into dust and was blown away by the rising winds. Kagome had enough time to wheeze a quiet thanks to whoever had saved her before the orange light finally died. Only the flickering street lamps were left, but they were of no use to her before and still now.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome called out, distressed. Taking her time to get up and prepare her bow again, Kagome backed up until her back touched the rough bark of the oak tree. The tire swing beside her swung hazardously in the light wind, promising to give way and fall off its binds.

Kagome somehow kind of wished it would live up to its promise and fall; something was still out there in the darkness with her, and frankly, she needed the small distraction. It would be enough to keep her occupied for at least a whole of four seconds.

"Ne, I beat that one up good, didn't I?" a giggling voice exclaimed from the darkness.

Kagome was about to reply to that, thinking it was directed at her, before, "O'course you did. What a low level hollow. Tch, what a total waste of time." Someone drawled.

"We saved a life, this wasn't a waste." Another voice exclaimed. There were three now, huh. And here Kagome thought she was only up against only one.

"Lemme perform a burial already an' get outta here. I need sleep, dammit, and we all have class tomorrow." Kagome made a small noise and went to hide behind the oak tree. Her palms started to sweat from holding onto her bow for so long.

'_What do they mean by 'burial'? They going to bury me or something?' _Kagome thought with a panic. The soles of her feet ached with the need to run from her crouched position.

"This reiatsu… we didn't just save any ordinary plus soul." One of the voices drawled quietly from behind Kagome's hiding spot. Everything was still smothered in the darkness of the night, and while there were lights coming and going occasionally from the streets lamps, Kagome didn't see any harm in peeking from around the corner to take a quick peer at them. If it was dark, they shouldn't be able to see her.

"Ah, what do you know? It's weird…" there was some shuffling, and to that, Kagome quickly hid herself again. "Quincy boy's right. We should look for it."

'_Reiatsu as in spirit power?' _Kagome thought absently. Her heart beat quickened in her chest as she nervously thought of a plan of action. "What should I do? What should I do…?" she questioned herself.

"Ah!" Kagome relaxed and stored her arrow back to its quiver. Her bow was still being held tightly in her hands. _'Let's see you find me if I hide my aura.' _With that in mind, Kagome focused on decompressing her spiritual powers into a tight ball in her being.

"Ah, it disappeared all of a sudden!" the bubbly one cried.

"No, it's not gone. I can still feel it, however faint now." More shuffling from behind the tree occurred.

"Quincy boy's still got it for finding reiatsu, ne?" one praised gruffly.

"Urusai, baka. I'm pinpointing where…" a pause and silence. "Its there."

'_Have…they found me?'_ Kagome hoped to kami-sama they haven't. For all her luck, though, they were already staring at her from behind her closed eyes.

"Ha. If it was that close, I could have done it, but you have to be useful with _something_, eh, Ishida?"

"Shut your trap, Kurosaki-_kun_, I don't need to be mouthed by you of all people."

"Peace among friends would nice to have, wouldn't you say, Sado-kun?"

"…"

Before Kagome could gasp and whirl around to face them and point, there was a loud, "Kaze no Kizu!!" from her left and an explosion.

Said school girl could only jump out of the blast at the nick of time. Getting off of her hands and knees for the second time that night, Kagome spotted a certain silver-haired dog demon, having already brandished his precious sword at the obvious voices behind the tree. She noted three long gashes in the grass… complimentary of the tessaiga, of course.

"The fuck are you all doing?" Inuyasha decided to be his normal brash self by pointing rather dumbly at the four teenagers, cautiously eying the one with the sword strapped to his back.

"I could say the same thing to you," Kagome watched Ichigo take the plate in front of Orihime, Sado, and Ishida to reach for his sword. Sweat formed at her brow as she gripped rough wood in her hands. "What are you doing here? Oi, Ishida, is this thing the funny soul you mentioned, 'cause I don't think it is."

"Fool, it isn't, obviously." The pale boy said.

"What are you calling 'it'?" Inuyasha growled, raising his sword. "And where the hell did you take Kagome, you bastards?"

"Kagome?" they all exclaimed, confused.

"I'm…here," Kagome walked into the light, away from her hiding spot behind the oak tree. "Tada? Surprise?" she exclaimed nervously.

"Kagome-chan! Ne, ne, why are you here, Kagome-chan?" Orihime waved and bounced around happily as Sado tried his best to calm her.

"I could ask the same for you, Orihime-chan." Kagome scratched the back of her head with a nervous laugh as she heard Inuyasha's growl deepen. "You too Ishida-san, Sado-san, and Ichigo-san."

"You can see me?" Ichigo tilted his head. He was in his shinigami form for sure, he knew it! Zangetsu was on his back and his clothes were black!

"You heard Kagome, you dumb fucks!" Inuyasha took that moment to bellow. "She asked you a question, and if you don't want anyone hurt, you better answer!" he huffed. "Get over here, wench."

"Not wench, Inuyasha, 'Kagome'…" Kagome strained, dashing to his side. "Be nice, they're all my classmates." She emphasized this with a pull of his forelocks.

"That one's got a sword and that one looks like a mini ogre oni!" Inuyasha pointed out loudly. "You really want me to be nice to them? Have you lost it completely?"

"I'm not a mini ogre oni, thank you…" Sado calmly stated.

"Says you!" Inuyasha retorted.

"Inuyasha!"

"Shut up, both of you! Seriously…" Ichigo rubbed his temples.

"Make me, Ichigo-san!" Kagome growled back.

"Higurashi-san," Ishida stepped in before a fight broke out. He decided to start by asking simple questions. "You can see Kurosaki?"

"Of course, Ishida-san," Kagome turned timid for a moment. "That a trick question?"

"No, no," the Quincy assured quickly, pushing up his glasses again, for they have a tendency to slip off his nose. "You see he has a sword on his back, right?"

Ah…"

"I have one, too, and if you like, I would gladly shove it up your-"

"Osuwari, dog-boy! You better watch it!" said dog-boy hit the ground; painfully too, the schoolmates noted.

Ichigo burst into a fit of hysterics, while Orihime twitched now and again. "Ne… is he your dog, Kagome-chan?"

"I wouldn't think so, Inoue-san," Ishida shook his head almost mournfully. He watched and waited for their bickering to end.

"Who're you calling 'boy', wench? I'm over a century older than you!"

"Fine, _baka_. Hey, that suites you better, actually."

"Bi-"

"Don't _dare_ finish that, or I'll-"

"-itch."

-"sit you." the demon hit the ground again and by now, Ichigo was beside himself in laughter.

"He's very trained, Kagome-chan," Orihime assured her friend.

"Very…" she growled in return.

Ishida shook his head. "This is getting us nowhere and fast. I suggest we take this conversation inside and get warm while we're at it."

"The hell you are, taking this inside you pansy!" Inuyasha shouted from between mouthfuls of dirt. He pulled himself out of the hole his body had made. "Let's settle this here like men! I can take on all of you at the same time!"

"Don't get cocky, you don't know what you're getting yourself into." Ichigo warned, reaching for his sword.

"Oh yeah? Save your excuses for someone who gives a damn!" Inuyasha snarled.

"No, no! Ishida-san's right, we shouldn't fight." Kagome sighed. "I don't think they're the bad guys, or the ones that made that horrific noise in the first place, Inuyasha."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think I saw it before it was destroyed. It looked like a youkai, but it had a mask and hole in its chest." She wrinkled her nose. "And it looked like a _spider_."

"The hollow, you mean." Orihime corrected. "I destroyed it." she boasted.

"So you were the one with the reiatsu. Now that I recall, the reiatsu that you have is unique for some reason," Ishida pushed on his glasses again. "It changes from time to time, you should know."

"I can hide my aura," Kagome explained quickly. She turned to Orihime. "So you saved me, Orihime-chan?" Kagome asked, awed for a second. "Did you make that orange light?"

"My shield? Yup!" the buxom girl giggled.

"Inuyasha, I think we should hear them out." Kagome concluded after watching her friend nod her head. "Orihime-chan saved me from that youk- ah, _hollow_." She corrected herself, unsure with the new term on her lips.

"Hollow my ass! I still say we kill 'em all and get it over with." Inuyasha turned his chin up and crossed his arms.

"No! Kami-sama save his reckless soul…" Kagome mourned.

"I'm up to making a trip to Urahara-san's again if you'll come with us, Kagome-chan," Orihime proposed after a moment of silence.

"That'd be great. Oh, let's go take the new girl and her demon friend to sandal hat so he can ogle them and ask them questions he already knows answers to." Ichigo said sarcastically, though as he said it, he was already walking in the direction of the shop.

"Inuyasha, you're coming with me, you know." Kagome leaned forward and snatched his sleeve.

"Like I have a choice. And 'sides, who'll keep your sorry ass out of trouble?" He snorted. "If 'sandal hat' stares at the ears, I'm ripping him a new one." Inuyasha sent Ichigo a hard glare. "And if that one pulls his sword out, I'm ripping him a new one, too, dammit."

* * *

_Terms_:

Hinagiku (meaning "daisy"; also "flameless chrysanthemum"), Baigon (solemn plum), Lily (the flower, obviously)! Santen Kesshun: the names of three of Orihime's six fairies. The second line means _combined shield of the heavenly trio. _

Tsubaki ("camellia"; also "Camilla demon")! Koten Zanshun: the only offensive fairy that Orihime has. The second line means _cutting shield of the heavenly one. _

Urusai: shut up, be quite, ect.

Baka: idiot, moron, dumbass, ect.

Kami: god

Kazu no Kizu: Inuyasha's _wind scar._

Tessaiga: Inuyasha's sword.

Osuwari: literally, sit; as in for dogs. With people, you use something else, but this command literally means sit to command a dog. Oh, the irony.

_Author's notes_: so, till next chapter! Wow, I've written more than I've written before for this story ever. Yeah. Finally, they met!! I was excited for this chapter, myself. I kept thinking, 'they're gonna get together this chapter, they're gonna get together this chapter for sure,' and look! I did it! I got them to finally meet the other in this chapter. I'm so proud of myself.

_Food for thought_: Smile and the world will smile with you. Laugh and they'll all think you're up to something.


	6. explaining the right

_Authors notes_: thanks for leaving nice things for me to read last chapter! This past week was by far the most hectic week of my whole life. I think, anyways. I only just got to post this after reviewing and minor editing. This was a tough chapter to write, just so you know. I kept on having second thoughts on scenes and dialogue. At any rate, thanks for waiting, so here's chapter six!

_Disclaimer: _I really don't own them. I don't even own any merchandise! (I know, THE SHAME!!)

* * *

"My, my, welcome back Kurosaki-san, Inoue-san, Ishida-san, Sado-san! I'm awfully sorry, my pretty little dears, but the Urahara Shop is closed due to it being the middle of the-"

"Put a sock in it, you old fart, we brought visitors." Ichigo grouched as he pushed past the shop owner and plopped himself down on a cushioned seat. Sado and Ishida soon followed him. Ichigo watched with a critical eye as Orihime and Kagome entered after them, talking to the other as if they didn't have a care in the world. Well, only Orihime, anyway; he noticed the new girl force a strained smile when Orihime recited to her a joke. Something to do about radishes and flying pork chops….

Ishida noticed someone was missing when Urahara closed the door after the two girls with a giggle. "Urahara-san…" the Quincy began, "I believe you have left Higurashi-san's friend outside." He shook his head momentarily because he, at the moment, didn't know what to call the dog eared companion of their classmate.

"Pardon me? There wasn't a soul outside after you all." Urahara said behind his fan. Ishida could tell he knew more than he led on. The shop owner then excused himself to prepare some tea.

"Aw, Inuyasha! Why won't you come over here and join us already?" Kagome called loudly…at the ceiling. The others watched with confusion, though Ichigo's face was carefully blank as he stared at her, too.

'_What a loudmouth…' _Ichigo thought with a roll of his brown eyes. '_Reminds me of the midget.' _And when he mentioned 'midget', he usually meant Rukia. Or if Toushirou was around, it was most likely him. But at the moment, Kagome did remind him of Rukia because they both had an attitude. He wasn't saying that Toushirou didn't have presence; sometimes he had too much so…it was just…never mind.

Sometimes, Ichigo seriously wondered when he had the time to think about… other things, for a lack of a better word. Here that new classmate of theirs was, just idly sitting in a comfy seat beside Inoue growling at the ceiling.

…more like snarling, if Ichigo had any say to it, now. He wouldn't dare say anything out loud, however; like Rukia, the shorter girl had quietly earned his respect over their past encounter. Witnessing how she brutally kept her companion in line was almost _scary_. He vaguely wondered where she got those glowing beads around the demon's neck. It would be nice if he could get one of those for that idiot Isshin back at home. And, if there was any possibility, one for Kon, too.

There was a muffled, "Arggg, dumb wench," from above, and Ichigo tensed to figure out it was just Higurashi's demon friend being as noisy as ever.

"Inuyasha, don't get me started, you hear me?" Kagome shouted a last time before sheepishly shrugging. "Demons. They're all the same." Ichigo speculated about what she meant by that statement for a moment.

Stomping could be heard now, and the shoji door slide open loudly.

"Don't get your shit in a knot, wench! Was just scouting out the area." Inuyasha scoffed at Kagome while she did the same. He went to lean against the door frame, and from the corner of his eye, kept Kagome in his line of vision.

"What_ever_." Ichigo deadpanned. "Now that you're here, we want to know a few things."

"Like what, Ichigo-san?" Kagome asked.

"Ichigo; Ichigo is perfectly fine," Ichigo stressed. "Seriously, just call me Ichigo."

"Don't tell Kagome what to do, kid, or you got another thing coming to ya!" Inuyasha reached for his sword. "Kagome, where in the hell did your backbone go? Don't take other people's shit! Especially not from this dumbass!"

"Don't mess with me, seriously! You _can_ see my sword, cant you?" Ichigo was losing his temper with this guy, and he, too, went to grasp Zangetsu's hilt threateningly.

"Inuyasha, its okay," Kagome sighed, defeated. "Can we please come to a resolution _first_ before anything is revealed?" they all watched as Kagome sent a meaningful look at Urahara who had returned with beverages. The shop owner, in turn, continued to stare at her with a thoughtful look on his brow. "I'd feel more comfortable."

"Alright." Ishida nodded. "Introductions and some background information might be a nice place to start." Ishida looked at Inuyasha.

"Oh! Right," Kagome snapped her fingers. "This is Inuyasha, guys. Sorry for not having introduced him earlier." She then pointed to his ears. "As you can see, he isn't human, and by how you all are nodding, I'm pretty sure you already know he's a demon."

Kagome gulped. "I have a question, having just said that. If I haven't said anything to you guys about any of this before, how do you know now? Knowing that Inuyasha is a demon, I mean."

"That would be me, Higurashi-san." Urahara said, having been listening to the conversation.

"And why would that be you?" Kagome countered quickly.

"We all know you defy the laws of time and space, that's what." Ichigo butted in.

"How in the hell-?! Kagome, these bastards know too much, I'm killing them all!" this time, Inuyasha really did unsheathe his sword.

"What in the world do you think you're doing? We don't have enough space in this tiny room!" Ishida said after Orihime started to run around frantically and Sado started to form his right arm to defend himself if need be. He sent a meaningful glare at Ichigo when the shinigami representative got off the ground to crouch ready. "Don't make things worse, Kurosaki." He warned. Ichigo scoffed.

Meanwhile, Kagome was trying her best to console her angry companion. "Inuyasha, they're my classmates at school, you can't just go around killing them!"

"What do you know? They could be with that bastard Naraku or something!"

"He's in the past, Inuyasha! He can't get through the well! He _can't_!"

"_I_ can get through the well! It isn't impossible for him to find out about it and come rampaging through! They have to be his allies here! Get it through your thick head!" Inuyasha, by now, had dropped his still transformed sword to the ground to shake Kagome.

"That can't be true!" Kagome stomped her foot.

"Then explain to me why they know so much about you." Inuyasha released her and crossed his arms.

Kagome turned her nose up. "I can't answer that now, duh! I didn't know my classmates had special powers and could sense auras until this night!"

"You better come up with something quick then, wench, I won't wait long!" Inuyasha growled.

"Osuwari! You just _asked_ for that one, Inuyasha, you jerk!"

Urahara quickly mourned his now dented floor. When he heard the two bickering some more, he decided he needed to fill them in. "Please, Higurashi-san, Inuyasha-san, don't panic. I have the explanation to this unfortunate mishap."

It was some sort of miracle in itself, but finally, everyone was able to sit back down civilly. Inuyasha, the exception, was leaning on the doorframe once more.

Urahara then explained to Kagome and Inuyasha why he was such the expert on her personal biography up until he mentioned the time traveling dry well and why he hadn't a clue as to what the two did on the other side.

He clarified to them that he hadn't heard of a well that was able to defy time and space before. Together, the two groups were able to fill in the missing blanks to each other's partially told stories. The shinigamis, Quincy, and significant others nodded when they finally understood her reason behind it all and her absences from school to go down the well. In return, Kagome and Inuyasha were able to figure out what a shinigami and hollow was.

However filling in each other's blanks, the two groups didn't expose their whole story. _'No need for them to know about the Aizen fiasco,'_ Ishida had thought while telling Kagome of their adventures. _'They don't need to know much of Kikyou and the reasons for revenge against Naraku.'_ Kagome had thought along. _'I don't want any more people to know about such tragic things like that.' _

"I do believe that you are being sent to the feudal era for a reason, then, Higurashi-san." Urahara said, taking a sip of his now cold tea. During their intriguing conversation, his beverage had lost its warmth. "That Naraku seems troublesome."

"He's a handful, that's for sure." Kagome sighed. "I'm the only one who can locate him because he holds so many jewel shards in his possession. That's my reason."

Urahara turned thoughtful, rubbing his chin with a look of contemplation on his brow. "I had thought before it best to send shinigamis to your scene if trouble were to pop up here in this time. But it seems you and your group of hunters are capable enough in keeping Naraku in line."

Inuyasha snorted at the 'hunters' comment. If he looked at it in a different way, though, he could actually see it as a compliment, so he grinned, however small.

"We're capable enough," Kagome continued. "No need to trouble your forces with the past. That's why we're there for." She pointed to herself and Inuyasha.

"I won't send note to anyone about this meeting, then. Seireitei can be left out in the dark for now, until the time comes." Urahara said. He could tell this secret of theirs was important to be kept secret.

"Much appreciated."

There was a tense silence where no one wanted to say a word then after. Though trying so very hard to keep it in, Kagome and Orihime let out a loud yawn. That triggered something in all the men's minds.

"Its late wench, let's go already," Inuyasha mumbled as he went to pull on Kagome's arm.

"Inoue-san, you need to rest yourself, you've had a long day." Ishida proposed.

"It's three in the frickin morning. I need to go to bed, already." Everyone then went to stand at Ichigo's statement. All at once remembering that they still had to attend school the following day, the classmates of classroom three let a collective sigh escape from their lips.

"We'll be off, first then." Kagome called to her classmates as she slowly climbed onto Inuyasha's back. He was ready to leave already.

"See you tomorrow, Kagome-chan! We're all glad we could have this talk and settle things." Orihime called to her quickly departing friend.

"Yeah. Me too, I guess."

* * *

The next day was as normal as ever. Nothing really had changed. Classes were still the same, lunch was as loud and expressive as ever (special thanks to one Orihime-chan and Keigo-san), and after school antics hadn't changed one bit.

Kagome found it to be oddly nice.

'_It's nice to have other people know about such a huge secret like traveling through and well.' _Kagome thought contently after school. _'It's great, 'cause Urahara-san promised to not interfere with my travels, either. Now I have friends that can understand me on both sides of the well.' _

She noticed that whoever was following her the past couple of weeks now had stopped because she could no longer feel their presence. When she had spoken to Orihime about it one day, her friend had sheepishly admitted that she and the others were the ones spying on her. Her defense was reasonable enough for Kagome. She would have been keeping a close watch onto anyone new in town if she could sense that they weren't normal and had demon friends that forced them into dry wells to go back in time.

Over the week in the present time she had begging Inuyasha to let her stay in, Kagome had met a very interesting…cat.

Shihouin Yoruichi was very…fascinating. Talking cats aren't common these days, Kagome thinks, and she's lucky to be able to have seen one in her short lifetime. Kagome remembered Inuyasha having smelt a cat's scent before leaving for the feudal era. If she could guess that Yoruichi-san was also keeping a close watch on her due to Urahara's request, she bet two pennies that it was her in the well house Inuyasha could smell.

Seven days, if counted, was horrifyingly short, so when it was up, Kagome just couldn't help but protest. She didn't want to leave her friends back at home, but she knew it was inevitable. Orihime, Ishida, Sado, and Ichigo accompanied her to the well to watch her time travel with Inuyasha.

Back in the past, Kagome entertained Sango, Miroku and Shippo about her new friends and her interesting findings. She explained to them about the shinigamis and hollows, the talking cat she had come to know, and Orihime's fairies and Sado's awesome right arm. She couldn't help but also mention Ichigo's story to them in saving a wrongly accused other.

With her stories to brighten the trip, their search for Naraku had become much more lighthearted and less dreary. For every trip back to the present, Kagome couldn't wait.

However her next trip to the present, she would find, wouldn't be very fun and be filled with stories to tell Sango, Miroku and Shippo about.

* * *

_Author's notes_: (sigh). I'm really tired. Its like, what, one in the morning?? Anyway, I just wanted to get this out because then I'd feel bad if I didn't update faster. Anyway, read and review! Thanks!

_Food for thought_: The Following Statement is true: The previous statement is false.


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